Tag Archives: Health Care

Disaster, Indigenous Nations

Homalco Air Rescue

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(This is the third in a series of articles from the 2019 Campbell River Emergency Preparedness Trade Show.)

By Roy L Hales

People in the remote indigenous communities surrounding Vancouver Island occasionally wait days before they can access the advanced medical facilities in Vancouver. According to David Carsen, of Land Forest People Consulting, “Air ambulance does the very best they can … [but] there is only so many machines and, from time to time, they are not able to respond.” Patients in Kyuquot, for example, have been forced to make a 6 – 8 hour trip to Campbell River by ambulance. Homalco Air Rescue is a First Nations initiative that will provide much needed evacuation and medical transportation service in less than an hour.

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Health

Clinical Pathology Lab Work At Campbell River Hospital Threatened

(Editor’s note: The following opinion article was originally published on Decafnation and mentions matters of concern to residents of the entire Greater Campbell River Health Area, which includes Cortes, Quadra and other Discovery Islands.)

By Barbara Biley

As a result of changes made by the Vancouver Island Health Authority to lab services in the Campbell River Hospital, the lab itself is in peril and the lab at the Comox Valley Hospital is also in danger.

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Arts

Alex & Jane Dudley’s Deep Ecological Knowledge, Quirky Poetry & Stunning Photography Of the Australian Bush

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Coming to Cortes Island was Jane Dudley’s idea. She had woofed at Bluejay Lake Farm before and talked about the experience ever since. To her zoologist husband, Alexander, this was a challenge. His special passion is weird and wonderful creatures. Alexander simply has to have his “lizard fix” every day. Canada isn’t especially famous for its reptiles, yet he could see how important this was to Jane. For the first week after their arrival, he didn’t know what to do. Then he saw an alligator lizard. (He didn’t know there were any in Canada!) Since then the couple made an important observation about the lives of red legged frogs. (They will leave the photographs and GPS locations with FOCI.) The Dudleys have been blown away by the beauty of our forest – and are embraced by Cortesians everywhere they go. For good reason, Alexander & Jane Dudley introduce us to a whole new world of ecological wisdom through songs,  deep ecological knowledge, quirky poetry &  stunning photography of the Australian bush

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Forests, Health, Housing

Avoid Wood Smoke

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By Roy L Hales

According to the Daily Mail, “Wood-burning stoves emit six times as much pollution as a diesel truck.” The Environmental Protection Agency states wood smoke contains several toxic air pollutants including: benzene; formaldehyde; acrolein, and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). Health Canada claims, “In communities where wood heating is common, wood smoke can be responsible for as much as 25% of the airborne particulate matter.” They advise people to avoid wood smoke.

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Health

Air Pollution As Bad As Cigarettes

By Roy L Hales

Chronic lung disease rates are increasing. The University of Washington, Columbia University and the University at Buffalo have just published the results of an 18-year-long study made to determine why. They concluded that air pollution is as bad as cigarettes.

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